I'm not in contact with many former members.Sociable Peter is busy, Hoss seems to be doing reasonably well. I mostly hope that things are OK with those I haven't heard from in a while, I don't do facebook & not everyone uses e-mail.

I'm still ill despite the abscess having healed up (after months of visits from the District Nurses three times a week to pack and dress it).

I am now having dreadful problems with my asthma. For years, it has been under good control and I have rarely ever had to go on a Nebuliser. But this year I have been up to the GP twice a week for weeks and almost had to be admitted to hospital. I even had to be taken up the surgery in my nightie one day as it wasn't possible to get me dressed!

I have been on steroids for weeks. I have had to increase the use of the Ventolin (reliever) to several times a day. The preventer has been changed to a stronger one. My anti-histamine has been changed to one specifically for asthmatics. In addition I have a nasal spray to use twice a day and Pseudoephrine tablets three times a day.

Plus, although I rinse my mouth after every inhaler use, I developed Thrush in my mouth - which I have had for two weeks. This week the GP changed the medication for that to a different one as the first one didn't work. The problem is that my old preventer (and the reliever) are taken through a Volumatic Spacer but the new preventer is a suck inhaler (not aerosol) and that is the thing that causes the Thrush. Joy of joys.

The hot weather has knocked me out and made me feel really ill. Plus, I have to cover every inch of myself whenever I go out as the Doxycline which I have to take permanently because of the abscess, causes photosensitivity and I get burned to blazes very painfully.

Yet, despite all of the above, I did see Sir Circumference last week - who is very gallant to say I am on top form!!

I must tell you that Sir C is nothing like his ballet tutu picture. Sir C is in fact slim and very good looking.

Hello Yvette! Sorry to hear your asthma is so bad... I prefer the aerosols and volumatic myself, and didn't realise the other types could cause thrush I am lucky that my asthma is fine as long as I avoid the allergic triggers. The hot weather doesn't help indeed...